About Pam-treating gaskets

[81xsproject]

I have heard about and read about treating gaskest with Pam cooking spray to protect gaskets in areas of frequent on-off use. My question is does that affect its ability to seal. I guess am just paranoid cuz I can still hear my father telling me that the mating surfaces had to be perfectly scraped and then cleaned with some super volatile cleaner like laquer thinner and dried. He is not the worlds greatest wrench or anything, but I always took it as such.

[81xsproject]

I forgot to mention the reason I asked. I just ordered some new valve cover gaskets in preperation of doing some mix and match experimentation with 78-79 and 80-81 cams. I don't want to tear up a brand new gasket in the process.

[webbcraft2150]

I have used Pam on car valve cover gaskets, fuel bowls and even oil pans with no leaks. I usually glue the gasket to the part that comes off (ie: valve cover, oil pan), clean the heck out of the surface its going against, spray it down and bolt it up. Its helps when you start with a quality gasket. I used pam on the bowl gaskets of my 80g. Again, start clean and you will have very few problems. Its a different story when the wife finally finds her can of Pam on your workbench. And her trukey baster. And her high buck measuring cup with fork oil still in it. She didn't want the collander back after I used it in the Berrymans.

Hmm?, maybe I should cruise her kitchen, I am missing some tools.

[mro]

Pam is a hotie

Should not hurt on valve cover (gasket just gets splashed), and would be ok for alt and timing cover, but would not on gaskets that are retaining hot oil.



mro
btw, did spray Pam once, then she turned around and smacked the $hit outa me........

[81xsproject]

Webcraft, you said you glue it on one side? With what, RTV, form-a-gasket?

[Jerry]

I used Pam spray on the oil pan, clutch cover, other covers when I did my 2nd gear fix a couple years ago, have not had a problem, don't know why you can't use it on hot oil gaskets.....course I have not tried to remove these items since!

[Geezer]

Funny, I always used motor oil to lube gaskets. The oil helps seal the joint.

In cases where the surface is damaged or rough, then sealer sould be applied.

Geezer

[trbig]

For what it's worth,

I sprayed Pam on my valve cover gasket, (That's the only one) and it is the only one that I have NEVER been able to keep sealed. I will add that when I went to torque my head bolts after removal, I was told to oil them before torquing. I used Pam, thinking, this should make it extra slippery. I sprayed the bolts, then the studs. When I ran the engine up to operating temps, the Pam cooked on to the head in this disgusting yellow, impenetrable mess that I have found nothing able to remove. just my 2 cents.

Tod

[GNEPIG]

.. me too, i have tried the Pam on my valve cover gasket once.
maybe i used a poor quality gasket cause the gasket still came apart on disassembly, but it was easer to scrape off.

Geezer has it right, gaskets are designed so when oil gets on the gasket it causes it to swell and fill in the gaps.

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

Hmm?, maybe I should cruise her kitchen, I am missing some tools.

Pancake spatulas make great gasket scrapers. The High Temps plastic ones don't mar the surface or gouge!!!!

[LoHo]

Yep, the PAM cooked out of my valve gasket as well, leaving that yellow plastic-like film on my cylinders. Try Spic & Span to scrub it off.

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by webbcraft2150
Hmm?, maybe I should cruise her kitchen, I am missing some tools.

Just be careful there. Grab the wrong thing out of her drawers and you could find yourself missing a tool you'd rather not be missing...

[desert1]

pam

Gee I wonder if Pam would prevent rust if sprayed all over the chrome and rust prone parts on your bike stored for the winter......winter you know, cold , sleet, ice, snow.....ughh.
Bruce
78XS1100 79XS1100

[LoHo]

Damn, you had to say winter! Cloudy sometimes, temps plunge to the 50s...I hate it!

[MAXIMAN]

I use a very light coat of anti seize thread compound. Either copper coat and Molybdenum. The gaskets never leak and never tear when removing them. I use this stuff exclusively and generally get three or four valve adjustments out of one gasket before having to replace.